First home FIS Cross-Country World Cup for team Germany

Josef Wenzl -

FIS

Upcoming FIS Cross-Country World Cup action at the Rhine river is no more an exotic event. For the 10th time the sprint action takes place in the city of Düsseldorf.

Germany's national coach Jochen Behle lined up for the first home FIS Cross-Country World Cup event this season fourteen athletes. Daniel Heun, Josef Wenzl, Lucia Anger, Hanna Kolb and Sandra Ringwald came to Düuseldorf directly from the training in Sjusjoen, Norway. The men's junior team have been training in Santa Katarina, Italy. Distance specialists Nicole Fessel and Tobias Angerer sit out the sprint weekend in Düsseldorf and will forming their shape in Italy to get ready for next week's World Cup in Davos.

In Düsseldorf surprises are alway possible

After sub-par performance in Sjusjoen the German national coach Jochen Behle saw positive signs in Kuusamo. "The team showed first signs of live in Kuusamo. We have been simply lacking test races. It will still take some time until our performances have settled where they should actually be. The distance specialists will be carrying out a training block in Italy," Behle explained.

Sprint World Cup in Düsseldorf has established in the program as one of the sprint highlights. "Competitions at the river Rhine have become a true highlight not only for us Germans but also for other sprint nations. In the last ten years we have seen that surprise are always possible," the head coach said.

Behle hopes that German skiers will perform well before home crowds. "I hope Josef Wenzl will present himself in good shape. He has trained very well he seems to be on upward curve," Behle said.

FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Düsseldorf will be for Josef Wenzel season debut. "Last week we were training on the perfectly groomed and prepared World Cup track in Sjusjoen," Wenzl revealed. "When I look back at the training we have done in Norway, I think I should go through the qualification. My goal is to be in top 15 in Düsseldorf," Wenzl revealed his plans.